Ron Cunningham is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain Ridge High School for AZPreps365.com.

Paradise Honors defeated Valley Christian 20-14 in a Friday night lights rematch of last year’s 3A Conference semifinal on October 18. In the past year, the No. 16-ranked Valley Christian Trojans are now 0-3 against the No.12-ranked Paradise Honors Panthers.

Valley Christian’s losing streak against Paradise Honors began with a 52-33 defeat in last year’s regular season and a 72-56 loss in the 3A State Championship Tournament.

Friday’s game was a defensive battle with both teams struggling to score. The Trojans played from behind until they tied the game midway through the fourth quarter with five minutes left, pushing the game into double overtime.

In the end, Paradise Honors prevailed.

Valley Christian’s defense had several key stops throughout the game. Senior captain Hudson Pickett had a standout performance with three pass deflections and two sacks, helping the Trojans stay competitive late in the game.

“I try to give credit to the team and play my best every game,” Pickett said, one of the few players on the Trojans roster who starts on both offense and defense.

While Valley Christian’s offensive line had strong moments, it was also the source of several mistakes. The Trojans were flagged multiple times, and the center missed a total of eight snaps, resulting in negative yardage or turnovers.

“We all make mistakes, and in the end, the bigger ones cost us the game,” Pickett said. “I just tried to keep his head up and motivate him.”

Pickett, the team’s only junior captain, was supported by other strong individual performances. Starting running back Caleb Goldman led the team in rushing yards, scoring the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Friday marked Goldman’s second start of the season.

“I would say yes (to earning a starting spot). I’ve been putting a lot of effort in practice, just trying to get better,” Goldman said. “I want to continue my work and see what I can really do.”

Goldman’s first start came in the previous game against Gilbert Christian, where he rushed for 102 yards in the first half.

“I just want to play for my teammates and for God, of course,” Goldman said.

Despite their efforts, the Trojans are now on a two-game losing streak.

Cornerback Ethan Gomez, a leader in tackles against Paradise Honors, emphasized how much the team had looked forward to this game.

“This was one of the big games we wanted to win,” Gomez said. “With them knocking us out of the playoffs last year, it was something marked on our calendar for a long time. We had big hopes to win, but unfortunately, we didn’t.”

Despite the losses, Gomez remains optimistic about the team’s playoff chances. Valley Christian will face Payson and Ben Franklin in its next two games with playoff hopes on the line.

“Winning these next two games against two really good teams is important,” Gomez said. "I believe Payson is the No. 5 seed and Ben Franklin the No. 3 seed. With those power points, we have a good chance of making the playoffs if we can win.”